Golf swing training device



March 26, 19 68 A. E. PANZA 3,375,010

, GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE Filed May 14, 1964 v v INVENTORI ALBER .E.PANZA V his ATTORNEY V United States Patent 6 3,375,010 GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE Albert E. Panza, 1512 Middle St., Sharpsburg, Pa. 15215 Filed May 14, 1964, Ser. No. 367,363 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-486) This invention relates to a device for training a golfer, and more particularly to a device for improving the swing of a golfer.

One of the most serious faults of golfers, particularly beginners, is their failure to keep the head of the club low during the forward swing. Ideally, the head of the club should strike the ball while instantaneously traveling in a horizontal plane. In most cases, however, the inexperienced golfer will shorten the are through which the head passes due to improper wrist action. That is, the inexperienced golfer will ordinarily break his wrists too soon in the backward stroke; whereas a delayed wrist action is desired where the wrists break just before impact with the ball.

Another fault of the usual inexperienced golfer is the failure to keep his head down. The normal tendency of any beginner is to lift his head too soon, in which case the proper swing cannot be executed. Finally many in experienced golfers have difficulty in aiming their shot.

As an overall object, the present invention seeks to provide a golf training and practice device which improves the swing of the golfer, and which can be used to greatly improve the swing of inexperienced golfers in short periods of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a golf training and practice device which insures that the head of the club will be kept low and straight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a golf training and practice device which assists in aiming a golf shot or a golf putt.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a training device of the type described which can be used either on the golf course or in the home.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the practice and training device of the invention as viewed from a point beyond a club head about to contact the ball;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the training device shown in FIG. 1; 1

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the training device of the invention as viewed from the side of the device on which the golfer stands;

FIG. 4 illustrates the use of the invention by a golfer;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a device similar to that shown in FIG. I, but adapted for use indoors.

With reference now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the training device of the invention comprises a pointed bar or rod which is pushed into the ground 11 adjacent a golf ball 12 which rests on a tee 14. A collar 13 surrounds rod 10 and secured thereto limits the extent to which the rod 10 can be pushed into the ground. Slideable over the rod 10 is a collar 16 having secured thereto a horizontally-extending rod 18, the collar being adjustably secured to rod 10 by means of wing nut 15. Welded or otherwise securely fastened to the end of the rod 18, as best shown in FIG. 2, is a generally C-shaped portion 20 formed from rod sections. Extending outwardly from the ends of the C-shaped portion 20 are a pair of rods 22 and 24 which, as shown in FIG. 3, are preferably at an angle of about with respect to horizontal when the rod 10 is vertical. Both rods 22 and 24 are ten inches in length, while the span of the C- shaped portion 20 between the rods is four inches.

The position of the golfers feet with respect to the training device will be to the right of the ball 12. as viewed in FIG. 2, assuming that the golfer is right-handed. Of course, if the golfer is left-handed, the positions of the device and golfer will be reversed (see also FIG. 4). The training device is positioned by insertion of the rod 10 into the ground such that the C-shaped portion 20 effectively brackets the golf ball 12. This enables the ball to be clearly seen by the player. Furthermore, the angular position of the rods 22 and 24 about the upright rod 10 is adjusted such that the rod 24 points in the direction to which it is desired to drive the ball.

In order to strike the ball it is, of course, necessary .for the golfer to pass the head 30 of the club along path 31 (FIG. 4) beneath the rods 22 and 24, thereby insuring that he will maintain the head close to the ground where the most effective impact with the ball can be accomplished. Furthermore, in View of the fact that the golfer will be concerned with avoiding hitting of the rod 22 or 24, his eyes and, consequently, his head will be fixed downwardly in the proper position. Finally, in order to avoid striking the rod 22, for example, the golfer, when concentrating on his stroke, will automatically avoid breaking his wrists before the club head 30 passes beneath the end of rod 22. This, of course, is the desired type of stroke as was explained above.

Initially, the collar 16 may be adjusted in height and the wing nut 15 tightened such that the rods 22 and 24 are relatively high above the ball. Thereafter, when the golfer becomes accustomed to the training device, the collar 16 and rods 22 and 24 will be lowered gradually until the desired swing is achieved.

With reference now to FIG. 5, a modified form of the invention is shown for use indoors and wherein elements corresponding to those of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are identified by the like reference numerals. In this case, however, the rod 10 is provided with a fiat base 32 which rests on the floor 34 and supports the rod 10 in an upright position. The operation of the device in this case is the same as that described in connection with FIGS. 1-4.

Although the invention has been shown in connection with certain specific embodiments, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A golf training and practice device comprising an elongated first rod-like member adapted to be vertically positioned on the side of a golf ball opposite a golfer about to strike the ball with the head of a golf club, an elongated :rod like second member secured to said first member at right angles thereto and arranged to project horizontally outwardly toward and above said golf ball when the first member is in a vertical position, said second member being adjustable along the length of said first member, a third member having a first generally C- shaped section connected at its midpoint to the end of the second member opposite said first member and having its parallel legs arranged to point toward the golfer in a generally horizontal plane, and rod-like sections connected to the ends of said legs and respectively adapted to project beyond and behind a golf ball in the path of the club head in striking the ball, said last-mentioned rodlike sections being inclined upwardly from their points of connection to the ends of said legs at an angle of about 15 with respect to the horizontal, the last-mentioned rod-like sections both being about ten inches in length and the span of the C-shaped section between FOREIGN PATENTS said parallel legs being about four inches. 26,125 1905 Great Britain References Cited 137,444 1/ 1920 Great Britain.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner. 570,343 10/1896 Skreberg 248-l25 DELBERT B. LOWE, F. BARRY SHAY, Examiners. 2155097 4/1939 Mendle 248-425 G, I. MA-RLO, Assistant Examiner.

2,754,125 7/1956 Engler 273-192 

1. A GOLF TRAINING AND PRACTICE DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FIRST ROD-LIKE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE VERTICALLY POSITIONED ON THE SIDE OF A GOLF BALL OPPOSITE A GOLFER ABOUT THE STRIKE THE BALL WITH THE HEAD OF A GOLF CLUB, AN ELONGATED ROD-LIKE SECOND MEMBER SECURED IN SAID FIRST MEMBER AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AND ARRANGED TO PROJECT HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY TOWARD AND ABOVE SAID GOLF BALL WHEN THE FIRST MEMBER IS IN A VERTICAL POSITION, SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING ADJUSTABLE ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, A THIRD MEMBER HAVING A FIRST GENERALLY CSHAPED SECTION CONNECTED AT ITS MIDPOINT TO THE END OF THE SECOND MEMBER OPPOSITE SAID FIRST MEMBER AND HAVING ITS PARALLEL LEGS ARRANGED TO POINT TOWARD THE GOLFER IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE, AND ROD-LIKE, SECTIONS CONNECTED TO THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS AND RESPECTIVELY ADAPTED THE PROJECT BEYOND AND BEHIND A GOLF BALL IN THE PATH OF THE CLUB HEAD IN STRIKING THE BALL, SAID LAST-MENTIONED RODLIKE SECTIONS BEING INCLINED UPWARDLY FROM THEIR POINTS OF CONNECTION TO THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 15* WITH RESPECT TO THE HORIZONTAL, THE LAST-MENTIONED ROD-LIKE SECTIONS BOTH BEING ABOUT TEN INCHES IN LENGTH AND THE SPAN OF THE C-SHAPED SECTION BETWEEN SAID PARALLEL LEGS BEING ABOUT FOUR INCHES. 